Paper towel dispensing apparatus



R. G. B'IRR ET Al.

PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS May 24, 1938.

Filed April 8, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 24, 1938. .R G, BlRR E1- AL v PAPER TowL DISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1935 6 In Vern/orb' ,QI/00L PHG. /,ee

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' PAPER TOWEL. DISPENSING -APPARATUS I Filed April 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED s'rarss PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING APPARATUS Rudelph G. Birr, Lombard, and'Albert C'. Grun-I wald, River Forest, Ill., assignors to Steiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Utah Application April 8, 1935, Serial No. 15,272

17 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in paper towel dispensing apparatus and has for an important object to provide means for delaying delivery of a second length of towel paper to the user, thus making it necessary for the user to wait for some predetermined time period before he can obtain a second paper towel. By the practice of this invention, the number of towels used is substantially reduced and great economic gain is made.

It has been commonly observed that there is tremendous waste of paper towels because, as a rule, the user pulls a greater number from theY cabinet than he actually needs, seldom, if ever, waiting until the water absorbing limit of the paper is reached before he pulls a second towel. In this way, millions of dollars worth of paper towels are annually wasted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper towel dispensing .apparatus Withmeans for cutting towel lengths of paper from a roll and successively delivering the lengths for access by the user, along with means for preventing quick successive deliveries of paper towel lengths.

Features include: the provision of movable stop means, movable at the end of a feeding and severing operation to block further operation; the provision of a timer and connections between the stop means and timer for settingthe timer as a result of motion of the stop to stopping position:- the connection being thereafter acted upon by the timer to move the stop to permit another feeding and severing operation; the provision of a severing means which includes an element having teeth and a corrugated element into the valleys of which the teeth are projected and moved, with means adapted to feed paper in a manner to bridge the peaks of the corrugations, to be punctured and cut by said teeth; the provision of a paper supply compartment with paper feeding and severing means therebelow adapted to deliver severed paper lengths to project through an orice for access by the user; the provision of a bottom for the paper supply compartment'having a depending guiding extension leading to the feeding means; and the utilization of a cabinet door as means for holding an adjustable part of the severing means in .operative position, and permitting said part to be moved from operative position only when the door is opened.

Features of the invention include all details of construction disclosed, along with the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure.

Objects, features and .advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the' drawings forming a part of this application, and in said drawings Figure l is a vertical section on line I--I of Figure 3, showing the parts` positioned as after completion of the severing operation for the 5 paper towel web, with the end of the severed web disposed to be grasped and removed by the user;

Figure 2 is ar vertical section on line 2--2 of Figure 3, illustrating the stop mechanism, and means for automatically timing the release of 10 said stop mechanism, with the parts positioned in correspondence to the position of the parts of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a front view of the cabinet with portions broken away to more clearly show the op- 15 erating partsthereof; A

Figure 4 is a plan section online 4-4 of Figure 1, showing the serrated cutting blade and its complemental shearing plate;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View similar to Figure 2, showing the actuation of the stop mechanism and the automatic time release therefor; and

Figure 6 is an end View of the driving mechanism for the feed vroll and cutting blade, with partspositioned in correspondence to the positions of the parts of Figures 1, 2 and 4.

Numeral I indicates the outer casing of a cabinet having a door 2. Within the casing I is an inner housing formed of elements including two side plates 4, 6, secured adjacent their up- 30 per ends to wall brackets 8, by means of the screws 9. These wall brackets 8 are welded to the side walls of the outer casing I. The lower ends of the side plates 4, 3, are secured to the outer casing I by means of screws I0 passing 35 through said plates and in threaded engagement with upstanding lugs II, preferably welded to the bottom of the outer casing I.

Cross-connecting the side plates 4, ii, and secured thereto by means of screws I3, is a shelf .40 member I2 having at itsrear a downwardly eX- tending portion I4 spaced from a plate I5, also secured to the side plates 4, 6, and arranged adjacent Vthe rear wall of the outer casing I. The portion I4 and plate I5 thus form a 'guide throat .45 for the paper. The shelf I2 is positioned substantially midway between the upper and lower walls cf the outer casing I to provide a compartment I6 for the reception of a roll of paper toweling I'I which rests upon the shelf I2. 50

The portion I4 of shelf I2, and the plate I5 have forwardly and downwardly extending portions I8, I9, which are also spaced apart, and form a continuation of the guide throat. These portions I8, I9 terminate adjacent a feeding 55 mechanism, including a feed roll 2|, and a spring tensioned pressure-feed roll 22. Thus a narrow paper guiding passage is provided by which a web of the paper toweling Il is led from the compartment IEE to pass between the rolls 2| and 22, thence to be fed to a web-separating mechanism, including elements presently to be described.

The arrangement and relative positions of the orifice fl, top compartment I6, bottom |2 of the compartment, extension lll and the means by which the paper is fed and cut and moved upwardly to the orifice, are features of the invention.

The feed roll 2| is suitably rotatably mounted in the plates il, 6, adjacent the bottom wall of the cabinet. In addition to the pressure feed roll 22, a second similar roll 23 is provided. Referring to Figure 2: The shafts of the rolls are respectively indicated at 24, 25, and said shafts are loosely mounted in slots 25 of the side plates il, 6. The rolls are constantly urged toward the feed roll 2| by means of upstanding ends of spring 2l. These upstanding ends engage the protruding ends of the shafts or trunnions 24 and 25, as shown. The springs 27 are secured to the corresponding plate members as at 28, see also Figure 3. Both ends of the rolls 22 and 23 are similarly mounted. Any other suitable feeding mechanism can be used. The mechanism is manually operated by means herebelow described.

The web-severing mechanism includes, a shaft 3| mounted above the feed roll 2| and having bearings in the side plates 4, 6. This shaft has driving connections with said feed roll 2|, which are best shown in Figure 6. Secured to the shaft 23 of the feed roll 2| is a pinion 32 meshing with the idler gear 33 mounted on the side plate 6. Idler 33, in turn, meshes with the gear 34 fixed to the cross-shaft 3|. A dog 35 allows the train of gears to rotate only in feeding direction, indicated by the arrows of Figure 6.Y The shaft 2|! of the feed roll 2| extends outwardly through the wall of the outer casing and has fixed lthereto a crank 31 for manually rotating the feed roll and consequently the cross-shaft 3|. In the present embodiment it will be noted that the relative sizes of the pinion 32 and the gear 34 are such that two revolutions of the feed roll 2| impart one revolution to the cross-shaft 3 Mounted upon the cross-shaft 3| is a plate-like member 4| clampingly secured to the shaft 3| by means of the screws d2, see Figure 4. Upon the plate 4| is fixed, by means of screws 44, a cutting bar 43. The cutting bar 43 has on one edge, teeth l5 which extend beyond the outer edge of the supporting plate 4|. Mounted upon the side plates Il, 6, is a plate 4l which in turn has secured thereto a corrugated member 68, the corrugations of which are complemental to the teeth 45. The points of the teeth 45 of the cutting bar are in cooperative relation with the valleys of the corrugations.

rI"he plate member 4l is pivotally mounted as at but is normally held in upright position by the ears 52, see Figure 2, frictionally engaging the outer sides of side plate 6. When the door 2. of the cabinet is closed it also provides a backing for the plate member 4l.

To the under side of the plate 4|, see Figure 1, is secured by screws 55 an arcuate web guide and web smoothing member 54 having its center of curvature in the axis of shaft 3|. Cross-connecting the plates Il, E, adjacent feed roll 2| and presser roll 23 are two spaced apart stationary guide members 51 and 58 secured to the side walls by screws 59 and 3| respectively. Secured to the guide plate 5T as by welding are a pair of substantially upright guide rails 63, braced together at the top by a cross bar 34 as shown in Figure 3. The supporting member 4| and the cutting bar 43 and the arcuate web guide and web smoothing member 54 are slotted as at 66, to provide clearance relatively to the stationary guide rails 53,' as the cutting bar assembly rotates with the shaft 3|. The feed roll 2| is provided with two grooves 63 into which the lower eX- tremities of the guide rails 33 project. Below the feed roll 2| is an arcuate web-guide plate 69 secured to the plates A, 3 by screws H and spaced from the feed roll 2| to provide a passageway for the paper towel web.

The specific severing mechanism, including the toothed element and the corrugated element, is also a feature'of the invention, and the use of the toothed element for holding the severed length in accessible position is also a feature.

The stop 18 and the connection by which it is moved to stopping position is also a feature, as well as the scheme of using a common pivot 82 for the link and for the rod which sets the timer and which, in turn, is operated by the timer to move the stop out of stopping position.

In loading the machine with paper toweling, the free end of the web of the roll of paper toweling is brought downwardly into and through the passageway formed by elements M, l5, I8, I9, until the edge of the toweling contacts with the roll 22 and the roughened surface of the feed roll 2|. Uponrrotation of the feed roll 2| by means of the crank 3l secured thereto, the towel web is drawn between the tension roll 22 and the feed roll 2| into the guide passage 12 between the arcuate guide plate 69 and the feed roll, thence upwardly between the tension roll 23 and the feed roll 2|, thence upwardly between the two guide plate members 57 and 5B, to lie against the corrugations Q8, after plate 41 has been swung to the position shown in Figure 1.

The feeding and severing operation is as follows: After a predetermined length of toweling has been fed upwardly toward the exit slot 11%, the serrated knife blade moves into engagement with the towel web. The teeth l5 of the cutting bar puncture those portions of the web which bridge the peaks of the corrugations of member 48 and the teeth pass through the towel web into the grooves. 'Ihe speed of the serrated cutting bar is slightly greater than that of the feeding speed of the web, so that the web is not only cut, but the forward part is actually forcibly pulled and separated from the following part.

The synchronization to cause the cutter part to travel at a slightly greater rate than that of the feeding rate of the web is another feature of the invention, along with the use of teeth and corrugations with the paper bridging the peaks of the corrugations to be punctured and cut and pulled apart by the teeth.

As the towel web is severed the faster moving cutter bar moves the severed length upwardly away from the slower moving towel web and the movement is sufficient to cause the upper end of the severed length of web to project from the slot 'I4 to be readily grasped by the user. The Severed length of toweling is shown resting upon the cutter bar 43 and against the guide rails 63, and is shown projecting upwardly between the door 2 and the guide plate member T3. The plate 'I3 is secured to the door 2 adjacent the slot 14| through which the severed towel projects to be grasped by the-user and withdrawn from the cabir'iet.v 1

In the present embodiment, the timer mechanism includes means adapted to stop the cutter bar immediately after a 'cutting and severing operation and at a position in which the bar acts to support the severed sheet in position for withdrawal by the user. 'The position -isv shown in full lines in Figure 1, and inv dotted lines in Figure 2. At this position, the mechanism is held for a timed interval.

The cutter bar shaft 3| projects outwardly beyond the' side plate 4, see Figure 2, and has secured thereto a stop arm 1B having an inwardly laterally offset stop portion 11, adapted to engage a pivoted stop member 18 when the latter is in either the dot-and-dash line or the full line position of Figure 5. The stop member18 is pivoted at i9 to the side plate 4. A link 8| is pivoted at 82 to the stop member 18 and has a slot 83 traversed by the screw 84 of the stop arm 16 of shaft 3|;

Also mounted on the pivot 82 is an upwardly extending rod 85 having its upper end sliding freely in a guide 86 secured to plate 4. A dashpot v pleted, thel timing movement of the rod 85 being downwardly. The dot-and-dash line positions of the elements 16, 18, 43, and 54 represent the position of the elementsl at the beginning of the timing operation, and it will be noted that the screw 8s is engaged against the upper end of the slot 83 and has acted to pull the link and the stop 18 to stop position, at the same time setting the timer.

Rotation of the cutter 43 from the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 (or full line position of Figure 1) to the dot-and-dash line position of Figure 5 swings the member 18 on its pivot 19 to the dot-and-dash line position of Figure 5, thus moving the rod 85 upwardly to move the plunger in the dashpot 88 and set it for timing.

In Figure 5, the dot-and-dash line position of E the element 15, link 8|, member 18 and upper end of rod 85 and .the full line positionof the dashpot stem 89, corresponds to the position at which the timer begins its timing operation. Shortly after setting of the timer, members 16 and 11 will have moved to the stop position shown in full lines in Figure 5, while the elements 43, 54, etc., will have moved to the full line position of Figure 1. In other words, Figure 5 shows in dot-and-dash lines, the timer-se position, as well as the position of theelement 11 resultant from. its continued motion to stop position after the timer setting. Figure 2, of course, shows the parts conditioned to permit a manual feeding and severing operation, in which it will be noted stop 18 is positioned to permit arm 16 to be rotated one complete revolution from the position shown.

With the parts positioned as shown in Figure 2, the operator can, by turning the crank 31, rotate the shafts 20 and 3| in counter-clockwise direction to feed the paper and cause the knife 43 to sever it after a sufficient length of paper has been fed. During this movement, the link will, after the part 15 has traveled a sufficient distance, raise element 18 to the dot-and-dash line position of Figure 5. In this movement, the shaft 3| makes a complete rotation, near the last part of which severing is accomplished, after which the part 18 is positioned as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 5, and with the knife positioned as shown in Figure 1. At the end of the time period the stop element 18 will have assumed the position of Figure 2. Therefore, during the timed movement of the element 18 from the dot-anddash line position of Figure 5 to the full line position of Figure 2 the machine cannot be operated for'feeding or for severing or for delivering another sheet of toweling.

The relations of the stop elements, their pivots, the link, etc., are such that the element 18 is not lifted until the outer end of the element 11 has movedA a sufcient distance in counter-clockwise direction to prevent jamming by engagement of the upper surface 18a of the element 18 with the element 11. The relations of the stop elements, their pivots, the link, etc., just mentioned, are features of the invention.

The dashpot 88, of course, retards or times the downward movement of the member 18 about its pivot 19, as a result of the connection with rod 35. When the member 18 is lowered to the position shown in Figure 2, it no longer lies in the path of the offset portion 11. A stop member 96 is secured to the plate 4 adjacent the pivot 19 and a flat surface 91 of the member 18 engages it to prevent upward motion of member 18 beyond the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 5, if the operating crank is operated with undue acceleration. 'r

The use of the dashpot type of timer is also a feature of the invention, as well as'the operation 'of the timer by the Stop.

Wefclaim as our invention:

V1. A paper towel dispensing apparatus comprising, mechanism for feeding paper and severing it into lengths, including a shaft having an arm, a pivoted stop swingable into and out of the path of rotation of the arm, a connection by which'vthe arm moves the stop into Said path to prevent operation of said mechanism and thereafter allows independent movement of said stop away from stop'position, a timer, connections between said stop andthe timer for setting the timer as a result of motion of the stop into said path of rotation, said connection being thereafter acted upon by the timer to move the stop out of said path.

, 2. A paper towel dispensing apparatus comprising, mechanism for feeding paper and severing it into lengths, including a shaft having an arm, a pivoted stop swingable into and out of the rotative path of the arm, a slotted link connection bywhich the arm moves the stop into thel rotative path to prevent operation of said mechanism and thereafter allows independent movement of said stop away from stop position, a timer, connections between said stop and the timer for setting the timer as a result of motion of the stop into the rotative path, said connection being thereafter acted upon by the timer to move the stop out of the rotative path.

3. A paper towel dispensing apparatus comprising, paper severing means including an element'having teeth and a stationary corrugated element into the valleys of which the teeth are projected and moved, means adapted to feed paper in a manner to bridge the peaks of the corrugations to be punctured and cut by said teeth, means synchronizing the feeding and Severing means, means for temporarily preventing action of said severing means following a severing and separating operation including a timer adapted to be set and thereafter to automatically time, and means by which it is set during the operating cycle of said severing means.

4. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels having a door having an orifice through which the towels are delivered for access by the user, means on the door for guiding paper for projection through the orifice, a paper Vsupply compartment the front wall of which is formed by the door, said compartment having a bottom on which a supply of paper rests and said bottom having a depending paper guiding extension, feeding means arranged to receive paper from said extension, paper severing means adapted to receive paper from the feeding means, and sever the paper and deliver it through the guiding means of said door to project through said orifice, and means synchronizing the paper feeding and severing means for the purposes set forth.

5. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels having, a door, means for feeding paper, paper severing means adapted to receive paper from the feeding means, sever the paper and deliver it for access by the user, said severing means including an adjustable part which is held in operative position by the closed door, and means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth.

6. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels having, a door, means for feeding paper, paper severing means adapted to receive paper from the feeding means, sever the paper and deliver it for Yaccess by the user, said severing means including an element having teeth and a corrugated element into the valleys of which the teeth are projected and moved, said corrugated element being swingable away from said toothed element to inoperative position but being normally held in operative position by the closed door, and means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth.

'7. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels having, means for feeding paper, paper severing means adapted to receive paper from the feeding means, sever the paper and deliver it for access by the user, said severing means including a toothed element and a paper guide element movable on a common support, and a corrugated element into the valleys of which the teeth are projected and moved, said guide element and corrugated element cooperating to hold the paper in condition to be punctured and cut by said toothed element, and means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth.

8. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels having an orice through which paper towels are delivered for access by the user, a paper supply compartment, means guiding paper from said compartment, feeding means arranged to receive paper from said guiding means, paper-severing means adapted to receive paper from the feeding means and including an element having teeth and a corrugated element, the teeth being adapted to project into Yand move along the valleys of said corrugated element, said feeding means acting to deliver paper to bridge the peaks of the corrugations, means synchronizing the feeding and paper-severing means, said means adapted to' cause the toothed element to apply web-separating force in direction of motion of the fed material, and after severing to cause said toothed element to dwell and support the severed length foraccess by the user, and means for temporarily preventing further action of said severing means after said means is in paper-length-supporting position. v

9. In a cabinet for dispensing paper toweling, an orifice through which the towels are delivered for access by the user, feeding mechanism including a feeding roll, paper severing means including a shaft by Which the severing means is operated, means synchronizing the feeding and severing means for` feeding a predetermined web length of paper toward and partly through the orifice and for severing the web, said severing means acting to hold the severed length for removal, means for automatically stopping the feeding and severing mechanisms after severing and in position to hold the severed length for removal, means acting on the stopping means to annul its action after a time interval and means by which saidtiming means is set during the feeding and severing operations, and is released for timing after said severing means arrives at holding position.

10. A cabinet for dispensing paper toweling having, an orifice through which the towels are delivered for access by the user, means for guiding and feeding paperY toweling, means for severing the toweling, means synchronizing the feeding and severing means, means by which the feeding and severing means are automatically stopped and held at a predetermined position after the severing operation, and means acting on the stopping means to hold it at stopping position for a predetermined time period, said severing means at said predetermined position acting to support the severed length positioned for removal through the orifice.

i1. A paper towel dispensing apparatus comprising paper severing means including a moving element having teeth, means adapted to feed paper to be separated into lengths by said teeth, means synchronizing the feeding and severing means for causing the teeth to travel at a greater speed than the feeding speed of the paper whereby to apply a paper web separating force in direction of motion of the fed material, means for temporarily preventing action of the cutting and feeding means following a cutting and separating operation, said means including a timer and means by which it is set during a feeding operation to act after the severing operation.

l2. A paper dispensing cabinet having, adjacent its bottom mechanism operable by the user for feeding paper, means arranged above the feeding means for severing the paper into lengths including a shaft, means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth, a paper supply chamber above the feeding and severing means, an orice adjacent the top cf the cabinet through which the toweling is delivered for access by the user, and means for guiding the paper from the supply chamber to the feeding means thence to the severing means and thence 'to the orifice.

13. A paper dispensing cabinet having, adjacent its bottom mechanism operable by the user for feeding paper, means arranged above the feeding means for severing the paper into lengths including a shaft,- means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth, a paper supply chamber above the feeding and severing means, an orifice adjacent the top of the cabinet through which vthe toweling is delivered for access by the user, means for guiding the paper from the supply chamber to the feeding means thence to the severing means and thence to the orifice, a door for said cabinet giving access to the supply chamber and feeding and severing mechanisms, said delivery orifice being in said door.

14. A paper dispensing cabinet having adjacent its bottom mechanism operable by the user for feeding paper, means arranged above the feeding means for severing the paper into lengths including a shaft, means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth, a paper lsupply chamber above the feeding and severing means, an orifice adjacent the top of the cabinet through which the toweling is delivered for access by the user, means for guiding the paper from the supply chamber to the feeding means thence to the severing means and thence to the orice, a door for said cabinet giving access to the supply chamber and feeding and severing mechanisms and having thereon part of said severing mechanism.

15. A paper dispensing cabinet having adjacent its bottom mechanism operable by the user for feeding paper, means arranged above the feeding means for severing the paper into lengths including a shaft, means synchronizing the paper severing and feeding means for the purpose set forth, a paper supply chamber above the feeding and severing means, an orice adjacent the top of the cabinet through which the toweling is delivered for access by the user, means for guiding the paper from the supply chamber to the feeding means thence to the severing means and thence to the orifice, timing means of the dashpot type, a stop element attached to the shaft of the severing means, a pivoted stop swingable into and out of the motion path of said stop element, a connection between said stops by which said stop element moves the pivoted stop into said path to prevent operation of said mechanism, and connections between said stop and said timer for setting the timer as a result of motion of the stop into said path.

16. AY towel dispensing apparatus comprising, means for feeding toweling, a stop mechanism to limit action of the feeding means comprising iirst and second swinging stops moving in a common plane, the rst controlled by the feeding means, and the second adapted to swing into the path of the rst to arrest its motion and means connecting one stop with the other so that the second stop is moved into the path of the iirst and thereafter released to permit movement of the second independently of the rst away from stopping position,

1'7. A cabinet for dispensing paper towels comprising, means for feeding toweling, a towel supply chamber, a door for the cabinet having a plate thereon which forms a closure for said supply chamber and which is spaced from the door to form therewith a guide which receives paper from the feeding means, said door having a delivery opening to which said guide leads. f

RUDOLPH G. BIRR. ALBERT C. GRUNWALD. 

